1Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to stake extracting tools and devices and, more particularly, is concerned with a stake extractor device having a double-handed cross handle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The requirement to remove or extract stakes, large nails and other rigid objects from structures, such as the ground, roadways or walls, arises quite frequently in construction work, carpentry, earth work and the like. Oftentimes, these extractions demand the ability to apply a large force to remove the object. For example, long rusty stakes and nails which have been embedded in a structure for a long time are particularly difficult to remove without the possibility of using grease or other lubrication unless considerable force can be delivered to remove them.
A number of different devices to pull out nails or brads, to remove grease caps, tent stakes, trap stakes and so forth, have been proposed in the prior patent art. Representative examples of these devices are the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. to Colerick (1,747,053), Allen (2,779,089), Crawford, Jr. (3,169,010), Brooks (3,529,497), Jenkin (3,791,012), Burris (4,454,792) and Small (4,669,341).
Colerick discloses a nail and staple puller which includes an elongated rod having a tool on its lower end and a hammer slidably mounted thereon for use to force the tool either downwardly or upwardly. Allen discloses a puller tool which includes an elongated shank, an handle attached to one end of the shank, a clamp attached to an opposite end thereof, and a manually operated hammer slidably mounted along the shank.
Crawford, Jr. discloses a nail puller including a hammer slidably mounted on the elongated member and having a tool at one end. Brooks discloses a dowel removing tool including a dowel gripping member mounted on an end of a rod and a hammer slidably mounted along the rod.
Jenkins discloses a traction applying tool which includes a guide rod with a gripping tool mounted at one end and an impact member slidably mounted along the rod. Small discloses an extraction device similar to that of Jenkins above. Burris discloses a hand tool for pulling tent stakes which includes a claw foot having a standing bar and a sliding bar with a handle at one end. The sliding bar is slidably disposed along one side of the standing bar by square straps. The standing bar and sliding bar have square cross-sections.
However, a common drawback of the above-described devices is that they are basically one-hand operated. Therefore, the impact force is too small to remove many objects which are strongly fixed in the structure. As a result, a need still exists for a device which will deliver a higher level of impact force so as to permit the removal of such firmly fixed objects.